In Other News

April 25, 2018

SAFETY HAZARDS FOUND ON ALL FOUR CSU CAMPUSES
AUDITED: California State Auditor Elaine Howle’s
audit
of safety hazards on four CSU campuses is in, and the
findings are disturbing—faulty laboratory equipment, unsafe
drinking water, asbestos and chemical spills.

“Without resolving these issues, campuses cannot ensure they are
effectively protecting students and employees against injuries
and illnesses,” wrote Howle.

None of the four CSU campuses that were examined—CSU Channel
Islands, CSU Sacramento, San Diego State, and Sonoma State—could
demonstrate that they provide students with safety training
before working in labs.

The audit was requested by the CSU Employees Union, which
represents staff employees, after a chemical spill at Sacramento
resulted in injuries, and after a faculty-student chemistry class
project found excessive lead in the water in campus fountains.

“We are glad that CSUEU pressed for this audit. It confirms our
concerns that there are dangers for faculty, staff, and students
in our work and teaching environment,” said Margarita
Berta-Ávila, CFA Chapter President at CSU Sacramento.

CSU Chancellor’s Office public affairs noted in a
Capital Public Radio report on the audit that a health and
safety task force was formed in January 2017, and a consultant
was hired to offer online safety training.

JUDGE DECIDES CANCELLATION OF DACA WAS ILLEGAL:
A federal judge ruled yesterday that the Trump
administration decision to end DACA, the program to protect from
deportation young people brought to the U.S. as children, was
“virtually unexplained” and therefore unlawful. The judge’s order
requires the Department of Homeland Security to continue
accepting renewals and to allow first-time DACA
applications. However, the judge held back implementation of
his order for 90 days to give DHS an “opportunity to better
explain its view that DACA is unlawful.” Plaintiffs supporting
DACA include two unions and the NAACP.

CFA Associate VP Rafael Gomez said of the decision, “We are not
there yet but we are getting closer. The ruling by the court is a
move in the right direction. The rescission of DACA by the
current administration was arbitrary and capricious and it is
encouraging that the courts agree with this assessment.”

Gomez added, “I call on our colleagues and allies to redouble
their efforts to make sure we find a lasting solution to this
injustice. All DACA recipients deserve to be given an opportunity
to contribute to the only country they know.”

ACADEMIC FREEDOM IS TOPIC OF BARGAINING:
Academic Freedom in the best of times is a challenge to preserve
and to practice. In 2018, it is especially difficult—witness the
controversy at CSU Fresno over a faculty member’s ability to
speak their mind on Twitter. (See news articles in “Links of the Week”). In that
case, after a number of unclear public statements, CSU Fresno
President Castro
resolved that no further investigation is warranted.

In that context, CFA and representatives of the CSU Chancellor’s
Office met late last week to consider improvements to Academic
Freedom language in the collective bargaining agreement covering
Unit 3 Faculty.

Kevin Wehr, chair of CFA’s Bargaining Team, explains, “This
discussion is an outcome of the 2017 contract extension, adopted
just before all of us in the CSU faculty were to go on strike. We
extended our contract with essential elements including salary
increases, and agreed to go on talking about other issues that
needed more time.”

‘RADIO FREE CSU’—LATEST PODCAST WITH CFA VP CHARLES
TOOMBS: The fourth
episode of “Stronger Together,” a 10-part podcast series,
discusses CFA’s commitment to be deliberate in addressing racism.
That means tackling obstacles that sprout up along the way, and
finding ways that faculty and allies can be part of the solution.
Toombs’ exploration of these topics illustrates CFA’s Anti-Racism
and Social Justice Transformation principle that “We acknowledge
that we can be part of the solution by being intentionally
committed to addressing racism.” Click here to listen to the full
podcast. More episodes are available here.

CFA MEMBER BECOMES COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEE:
Congratulations to CSU Long Beach CFA member Uduak-Joe Ntuk, who
was elected as a Trustee for the Long Beach Community College
District.
Read about it in the Long Beach Gazette.